Thursday, September 15, 2011

My love for Mirabel is driving me crazy (Part 1)

I could still remember that night back at the University of Lagos when Mirabel and I were crowned the best couple on campus. It was fun, an exciting moment for both of us. I felt on top of the world that night.

Mirabel and I love each other so much. Although, she was a year ahead of me and also two years older than me, it never mattered to me. What mattered to us was that we loved each other. We never listened to gossips and I think that was what kept us going as lovers despite the age difference.

I met Mirabel at the Lagoon water front one sunny afternoon. I had gone there to relax and admire nature after three hours of a marathon lecture in preparation for my second semester examination in my first year. The two hours I sat down there, I saw this black beauty engrossed in the textbook she was reading. She was not distracted by the loud shouting and laughter coming from some students sitting close to her. She just focused on her book. The only time she took off her eyes from the book was when she wanted to take a sip from her bottled drink. I told myself this is the kind of student I should associate with if I must graduate with good grades.

As I was about to leave, I walked up to her. “Hello, I have watched you for two hours and you have been so engrossed in your book. Anyway, my name is Austin and I am a first year student of Economics,” I told her. “I am Mirabel, a second year student of Business Administration,” she responded. She asked how I was coping with university life and how I was preparing for the forthcoming examination. We talked generally about school and life. I discovered she was intelligent. We talked as if we had known each other for long. After that day, we became friends as we meet at the lagoon front to read and discuss.

About five months later, I told her I was in love with her. “Mirabel, I have fallen in love with you. Sincerely, all I wanted us to be was friends but I guess our spending time with each other almost everyday has changed that. What about you,” I asked. She said she likes me so much but cannot have an affair with me because she feels she is older than me. “Please, don’t lie to me. How old are you Austin,” she asked. “I am 20 years old. But I look bigger than my age. Look at my stature and not my age,” I pleaded. She told me she was 22 years old so it was pointless dating me.

This made us distant for some time because she was contemplating if she wanted to date me or not. There was no point seeing her again and hurting myself so I stopped going to the lagoon front. Two weeks later, she visited me in my room. “It is true you don’t look your age and I like you very much Austin. Okay, let us give it a try. But, please promise me, people will not know that I am older than you.” I promised her that. There and then, she gave me my very first kiss.

We had a very beautiful and wonderful relationship. Yes, we had a few quarrels because I am a jealous person and I didn’t want to see any male student around her. But, at the same time, our quarrels, arguments or fights do not exceed a day or two and we were back together. She was everything I desired. Mirabel was special to me.

In her last semester in the final year, my love for her had really intensified. Although, I loved her so much, I began to doubt if she was going to marry me because first, she would graduate before me and secondly, because of the age difference. “Even if I am ready to fight everyone to marry her, would she wait for me,” I asked myself.

The more her final examinations approached, the faster my heart beat. I knew I needed to have a heart-to-heart talk with Mirabel since she would be graduating soon. I needed to know her plans for us. So, after her final paper, I visited her. Fortunately, she was alone. I congratulated her on the successful completion of her course of study.

“Austin, I am so happy I am finally graduating. I am done with all these lecturers and their wahala. It is time to face the real world. Oh, you don’t know how happy I am,” she told me excitedly. “Mirabel, I am happy for you. But what is going to happen to us,” I asked. She looked at me and said she would wait for me since I would be graduating the following year. But she asked a question she had never before all the years we had been dating. “Austin, I know we love each other very much, but I am two years older than you. Are you sure you want to marry me? Please, I don’t want to wait in vain. What would people say, especially your family members,” she asked. I assured her everything would be alright, that we needed to take it one day at a time. We spent the night together in her room as her room mates had gone to celebrate with others too. Mirabel spent about one week extra in school because of me before finally leaving for home. But we were constantly in touch. She was ready to wait for me but ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) strike did not help at all.

Shortly after she graduated, there was ASUU strike that lasted for almost one year. She went for the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps program and came back. Yet, the strike was not over. She then went for her Master’s program in England. The last time I saw her was a day before she travelled to England.

So what happened next? Did they ever see each other again? Did they eventually get married? Find out in the concluding part.